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How to Achieve Flawless Skin Every Time With Your Beautyblender

The Beautyblender is a modern-day phenomenon. Not since Shu Uemura’s eyelash curlers or the Clarisonic launched has a tool caused quite such a stir. The Beautyblender is loved by the world’s biggest makeup artists, including Mario Dedivanovic, who uses it on the Kardashian sisters, and it’s a constant on Instagram posts (the hashtag #beautyblender has been used well over 500,000 times).

But how do you know if you are using your Beautyblender correctly? And did you know there are a tonne of secret uses for the distinctive makeup sponge? Exciting, we know. We called on Aline Elasmar, Global MUA for Beautyblender, to share her definitive guide to using your Beautyblender and the secret uses you can unlock. Keep scrolling to find out how to use your Beautyblender once and for all.

How to use a BeautyBlender

According to Elasmar, all Beautyblenders should be used wet, and this is essentially a non-negotiable, “Your Beautyblender should ALWAYS be used wet. You know Beautyblender is in perfect condition for use when it has expanded to twice its original size,” she adds.

To wet your Beautyblender, run it under the tap. Squeeze out excess water and towel-dry.

Apply foundation, BB cream, CC cream and powder products with the original Beautyblender, and use a “bouncing” technique to tap and blend onto the face.

Elasmar recommends not dragging the blender across your face. Instead, "bouncing the sponge allows for seamless blending (with no streaks or lines of demarcation) and the most product payoff on the skin. You can either use the tip or base for bouncing.” And regardless of the product type, the process is always the same: “Wet, squeeze, bounce.” Kylie Jenner uses her Beautyblender a little extra wet and bounces it over her powder to set it in place and prevent it from going cakey (a trick she learnt from Dedivanovic).

The Beautyblender’s unique shape isn’t just there to make it stand out from the sponge crowd, each end has its own purpose. “The pointed end is designed to cover blemishes, blend hard to reach places like around the nose and mouth and to apply product on the apples of the cheek. The base should be used for applying and blending product on larger areas of the face. It can also be used to apply powders for ‘baking’ and bronzing.”

The newer Micro.Mini (£15) is perfect for precision concealing, contouring and highlighting, says Elasmar. And the Bodyblender (£22) can be used to apply fake tan and shimmering body products to blend a seamless veil of tan or sheen to the skin. Use the same technique as your Beautyblender: Wet, squeeze, bounce. “Use the wider end to apply self-tanners, body bronzers, and shimmer creams over legs, arms and torso,” advises Elasmar. “The smaller end can be used to create a sculpted look when layering self-tanner for defined abs or leg muscles or for applying shimmer onto the collar bones or down the centre of the legs. Finally, use the sides of the blender to diffuse any lines.”

Shop the beautyblender family

“Using liquid or solid Blendercleanser, swirl and compress a wet Beautyblender, working into a lather; repeat if necessary. Gently squeeze your Beautyblender and rinse again to remove any excess cleanser and water. Finally, squeeze away excess water with a towel, and set your Beautyblender out to dry completely in a clean, well-ventilated area and re-use. You can use the lid of the canister as a drying pedestal,” adds Elasmar.

According to Elasmar, you should remember to replace your blender every three months, “just like your toothbrush or mascara.”

Unlock your beautyblender's secret uses

You can use your Beautyblender to apply eye shadow. “Create an easy, pulled-together, monochromatic look using the Micro.mini. Grab your favourite three-in-one cream product like Stila Convertible Color (£16) or NARS The Multiple (£29), and use the rounded end of a damp Micro.mini to apply a sheer layer of colour to your eyelids. Concentrate on placing product close to the lash line, and then use the side of your blender to diffuse the colour towards the crease,” advises Elasmar. “Then use the rounded end of the Micro.mini to apply product to the apples of your cheeks. Finish the look by using the pointed end to add a wash of colour to your lips. Instant, easy glam on the go.”

Use it as a nail sponge. Before throwing out your used Beautyblender, you can use it for various things. “After painting your nails, use the pointed end at a 45 degree angle with a contrasting nail polish shade to add a pop of colour to the tip of your nails. Or use it all over to create two-tone nails,” says Elasmar.

“You can also use a Beautyblender with matte shadow to touch-up roots if you’re in a bind,” she continues. “You can also use a clean damp Beautyblender to erase those annoying deodorant marks from clothing.”

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